The area around de l’Église-Wellington Street is recognized in the City of Montreal’s urban plan as having exceptional heritage value. De l’Église Street, which runs perpendicular to the Lachine Canal, is one of the city’s original foundational routes. The street features the Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church and its rectory, as well as the Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs School.

A developer plans to build an imposing building (3,000 m²) across the street, with a height equivalent to five stories and featuring a large-format grocery store on the ground floor. The proposed building does not respect the typology of the two main streets (de l’Église and Wellington Streets). It is a building model borrowed from a different urban context (more fitting for Newman or Taschereau Boulevards), which will set a precedent and alter the character of de l’Église Street.

The project will result in the loss of magnificent views of the church, an important landmark at the heart of Verdun. Additionally, the project will require the demolition of seven buildings, including several typical duplexes and triplexes. Many citizens are very concerned about this situation and are questioning whether the borough has done its due diligence—meaning whether it has consulted specialized agencies or organizations to ensure the respect and protection of Verdun’s heritage in connection with this large-scale real estate project.

In 2017, nearly 250 borough residents mobilized to sign a petition, gathering enough signatures to force the withdrawal of the project or the holding of a referendum. As a result, the development project was definitively halted, as the delays incurred between 2016 and 2017, as well as those anticipated, affected the project’s profitability for grocer Robert Bellemare.

Since this mobilization, the project appears to have been abandoned, and no mention of a development proposal has resurfaced.